Lyme disease cases soar in Massachusetts

The number of cases of Lyme disease in Massachusetts has exploded in recent years, increasing in some counties by more than 80 percent, public health authorities said yesterday.

Peter Reuell

The number of cases of Lyme disease in Massachusetts has exploded in recent years, increasing in some counties by more than 80 percent, public health authorities said yesterday.

The steep increase in cases has sparked a new effort by state health authorities to stress preventive measures people should take to avoid contracting the illness.

``We have seen those numbers increase over the past couple years,'' Department of Public Health spokeswoman Donna Rheaume said Wednesday. ``We really want to stress prevention ... particularly if you live in a county where there is a lot of wooded areas.''

From 2004 to 2005, DPH records show, the number of Lyme disease cases statewide jumped by more than 50 percent, from 1,621 to 2,437.

At the county level, the increase was even more dramatic.

In the same year, Middlesex County saw an increase of more than 75 percent, from 257 cases to 454, while Lyme cases in Worcester County jumped just over 70 percent, from 148 to 254. Norfolk County recorded the largest increase, as Lyme cases jumped from 145 to 265, an increase of more than 82 percent.

``We're seeing a ton of Lyme infections,'' said Tom Treadwell, director of the infectious disease clinic at MetroWest Medical Center. ``The infection is here to stay.''

Luckily, Treadwell said, the disease isn't often a major health problem.

``Lyme is, usually, fairly benign, and always curable,'' he said.

``Certainly, it can cause misery, but most people, frankly, get better on their own, or with a few days of antibiotics.''

Then why the concern about rising Lyme cases?

In some instances, Treadwell said, the disease can lead to debilitating, long-lasting health problems.

``A minority of people with Lyme get arthritis or get facial paralysis,'' he said. ``And a minority of patients get symptoms that last longer. It's always curable, but it's not always trivial.''

Though recent numbers suggest the trend may be levelling off - or even decreasing slightly, as statewide numbers show - Rheaume and other health officials say anyone who spends time in wooded areas should be on the lookout for the ticks which spread Lyme disease.

``Some preventative measures are the same as we recommend with mosquito-borne illness,'' Rheaume said.

Among the measures recommended by the state:

Whenever in the woods, wear insect repellent with DEET.
Wear light-colored long pants which can be tucked into your socks and long-sleeve shirts. The light color makes it easier to spot ticks.
Stay on cleared trails when hiking.
After spending time in an area likely to have ticks, check children and pets for insects.

``It's still somewhat preventable, but I don't think the public awareness is at the level it needs to be,'' Natick Director of Public Health Roger Wade said. ``People usually start thinking about it after they know someone who's come down with it. It's the sort of thing you want people to be aware of and try to avoid because of the complications.''

The sudden increase in Lyme cases, experts say, can largely be tied to one thing - the region's exploding deer population.

Most cases of Lyme are transmitted through the bite of the deer tick, dozens of which can be found on a single deer.

``The deer population has increased,'' said Steve Baccari, a sanitarian at the Westborough Board of Health, when asked why Lyme cases are on the rise. ``Even in their own backyard, people are susceptible to ticks coming off the deer and latching onto them.''